Vinland Saga: Anime Thoughts & Review

Finished watching Season 1 of “Vinland Saga” (ヴィンランド・サガ) ! OMG, this was so good. I highly recommend all to watch the anime and read the manga, especially if you are a fan of historical fiction, Vikings, as well as the coming-of-age type of stories.  This is definitely one of the best anime in 2019 and perhaps of the decade. The OP/ED songs for the anime are really nice and fits the story really well.

I’ve always been a fan of historical fiction and Vikings were always an area of interest and intrigue for me so Vinland Saga ticked off a lot of boxes for me even before I started watching. But what really captivated me and impressed me was the amazing character introspective, character development and the many philosophical themes the series had. 

幸村誠 (Makoto Yukimura sensei) is a masterful story-teller and it shows throughout the different arcs of the manga/anime series. WIT Studios did an awesome job adapting it into anime.

January 2023: Season 2 is showing now on Netflix!!

Vinland Saga: Themes

Vinland Saga is indeed a saga that chronicles the full journey of a boy to a man & from a killer purely motivated by revenge to an eventual pacifist that wishes to bring peace and to seek redemption for his past actions.

The series presents an honest look at the reality and brutality of war in a culture that intertwines honor with war (The Vikings). It poses questions about religion and faith, explores the concepts of discrimination and love while depicting the real-life consequences of ordinary citizens due to politics and royal intrigue.

“What does it mean to be free?”

“Can we really have a world free of slaves, war and senseless killing?”

“What does it mean to be a true warrior?”

It makes you think about the romanticism of war, the ideals of heroism, as well as the positive and negative impact of travel exploration while contemplating about the meaning of pacifism and morality throughout the series.

I really like how the series never shies away from the actual brutality and terror that the age of Vikings and the medieval ages are steeped in. The author did a great job in balancing the romanticism of the Viking lore and beliefs with the violence and terrors that the Vikings inflicted on their “enemies” and “victims”.  

The concepts and ideals of war, peace and freedom are constantly being explored by different characters throughout the series with the readers getting to view them through the perspectives of these characters.

Characters

There are so many great characters in Vinland Saga, with several really well-written, and clearly shows just how complicated humans can be.

Vinland Saga shows that you can’t really fit anyone into a clearly defined box of good and evil. 

We are all shades of grey, our actions being both good and evil at the same time, depending on who’s viewing it. And this was a consistent theme throughout the series. We see this truth at play with many of the characters in Vinland Saga.

Askeladd and Prince Canute, in particular, are really well-written. Askeladd, in my honest opinion, is really one of the best written character in anime and manga ever. His motivations and actions were truly well-fleshed out. Despite being one of the antagonists, you simply just can’t help admire the strength and resolution this man has in him. Unapologetic and realistic, Askeladd is a man who seeks to grasp his future in his own hands and machinery.

As for Prince Canute, you have to wait till S2 is animated to see the full extent of the prince’s transformation and journey though. Burdened by the events that transpired in S1, the young and sheltered prince eventually becomes a dangerous and major force to be reckoned with. In a sense, it’s like a role reversal with Thorfinn’s own journey.

The journey and character development of the main character, Thorfinn, is incredible as well. To avoid spoilers, I won’t say much about it here but I’ll just mention the words his father, Thors, left for him below.

“A true warrior needs no sword.”

“You have no enemies.”

Let’s just say Thorfinn started off not understanding what his father meant and it took many many years and many many ordeals until he finally did.

And then, there’s Thorkell. ^ ^ Thorkell is a man so charismatic and so unabashedly a Viking at heart that he can just switch sides and people from both sides STILL talks about him fondly. He steals the scenes whenever he appears and is such a fun character to watch on screen and in the manga. You have to watch/read Vinland Saga to know what I mean. I love Thorkell! ^ ^

What I also love about the series is that as the story progresses, you’ll realize that the journey isn’t just about the main character.

From time to time, we even get to see events unfold from the perspectives of minor characters that were caught up in Thorfinn’s journey which I felt was interesting and refreshing.

Thorfinn’s character development and life’s motivation has been equally shaped, influenced and was also an inspiration to other characters. This was something the author took the time and effort to show throughout the story arcs.

Be it a bad or good, Thorfinn’s journey is definitely not his own and his fate is clearly intertwined with others.  This is especially so in the first arc of the series (S1).  

S1 really ended on an amazing and impactful manner. Do note that S1 of the anime just covers the first arc (the ‘revenge’ arc so to speak) of the series so a lot of the themes mentioned and the philosophical musings are actually more discussed in the later arcs although S1 covers it plenty as well. I really recommend you to pick up the manga.

Vinland Saga currently has 23 volumes and is entering the final exploration arc.

Vinland Saga Final Thoughts

So… after all that, all I have to say is …

“YOU DEFINITELY HAVE TO PICK UP THE MANGA AFTER S1 ENDS.”  

Highly, highly recommend. If you are someone who can appreciate a great story and know that the best stories are those that are not just action and action all the time, Vinland Saga is definitely for you. Do read the manga and watch the anime. You won’t regret it.

I honestly can’t wait for S2 adaptation! The animation team did a great job in adapting the manga. The OP/ED animation and songs also fit the series so well. If you listen to the songs and read the lyrics, it really sums up the stories of some of the characters in the show. I never once skipped the opening and ending songs for all 24 episodes of the season. It is that good.

Fight me! Or you can watch Vinland Saga and read the Manga! All are acceptable.

Have you watched/read Vindland Saga? How did you find it? Let me know your thoughts in the comments! ^ ^

*Images in this review are from the Official Vinland Saga Anime website.

P.S: Here’s a tweet from 幸村誠 Makoto Yukimura sensei (author of Vinland Saga) .

If you like my reviews, perhaps you could also consider buying me a coffee as well? ٩(◕‿◕｡)۶ Every little bit of support helps in the running and sustaining of this website. Thank you so much in advance.

Where to Buy the Manga?

* Some of the links in this section are affiliate and referral links and if you use them too make a purchase, Geeky Travels and Fandoms might earn a small commission. Clicking on them has no cost to you. Please support the blog if you can. Much appreciated! ^ ^

Here are some places where you can purchase the manga. For the English versions, there’s both hardback covers and paperback editions. ^ ^

• Book Depository (Free Delivery worldwide and they have English/German/Spanish editions!)
• Amazon Japan (Kindle Version)
• Your local bookstores

Note: I like to get my English books and Graphic Novels from Book Depository because they ship worldwide and more importantly, there’s free shipping ^ ^ Their selection is pretty good and packing usually is not bad. However, delivery may take some time though, depending on your country. (Update April 2023: Unfortunately, Book Depository will cease operations in mid-April 2023)

For those who reads their manga in Mandarin, the translated title is “海盜戰記 VINLAND SAGA“. The publisher is Tongli Comics ( 東立) so it’s in traditional Chinese. Check with your local book stores!

Note: I read my manga mainly in Chinese (traditional Chinese); Japanese and English.

More Information

To find out more about the anime, you can visit these pages:

• Official Anime Website: https://vinlandsaga.jp/
• Official Twitter Account: https://twitter.com/V_SAGA_ANIME
• Blu-Ray/DVD information: https://vinlandsaga.jp/bddvd/

Season 2

In July 2021, it was announced that the anime production of season 2 of Vinland Saga has commenced! Yes!! I can’t wait to read the Farmland Arc and see how the fall-out + repercussions, as well as the path to redemption from the events of S1 will be adapted. [Update: S2 is scheduled to air in January 2023!]

Here’s a trailer (recap?) released by the team:

I am really hoping we get to see the full arc animated and not like what we have been seeing in recent anime adaptations where they dropped entire manga arcs and do their own. (Like why? Especially when there is SOURCE material to adapt from?!)

However, a fair (objective) warning to anime fans only, the "Farmland Arc" is a huge tonal shift from the prologue/War Arc (S1). Don't expect too many heart-pumping action or fast action scenes. 

You have to remember that Thorfinn is still dealing with the fall-out of S1 + realistically, it takes time for him to reevaluate his life choices. This arc has more character development growth and a deeper exploration of various of the themes that were glimpsed at in the first arc. There’s more politics than ever in this arc though. The “action” does picks up in the following arcs I personally can’t wait for too. Apart from Thorkell, I really liked Sigurd in Vinland Saga. He’s yet another character that has a really good character development journey.

Music

* Some of the links in this section are affiliate and referral links and if you use them too make a purchase, Geeky Travels and Fandoms might earn a small commission. Clicking on them has no cost to you. Please support the blog if you can. Much appreciated! ^ ^

Vinland Saga’s songs and soundtrack are really good! You can find the full version of the OP/ED songs on both Spotify and Youtube as well. You have to check out all the OP/ED songs of the anime.

Note: Since the fan videos on YouTube kept being deleted, I have uploaded the official videos by the artistes instead. Please support them if you can. These artistes and songs are really nice!

OP 1: “MUKANJYO” by Survive Said The Prophet

Side note: Definitely one of the more powerful and emotionally impactful OP song for an anime to date. You really have to watch/read Vinland Saga to understand how well-matched this song is for Thorfinn, especially in the first arc of the story.

You can purchase a copy of the mp3 here at Amazon Japan!

OP 2: “Dark Crow” by MAN WITH A MISSION.

Side note: This song is totally about Askeladd. Just look at the lyrics, it sums up his character and world-view perfectly! Love him or hate him, you can’t deny the fact that Askeladd is really one of the best written character in anime and manga. And this is from someone who has read a lot of manga over the years.

You can buy the mp3 version of the song here at Amazon Japan.

ED 1: “Torches” by Aimer

Side note: Not going to lie. After watching the anime, this song will always pull at my heartstrings. It will always remind me of the love Thors have for his son, Thorfinn, and how, despite all that Thorfinn had to endure and go through, Thors believed in him. It’s a message of hope and humility and that to never give up hope. This song really is a reflection of Thors and Thorfinn’s relationship.

P.S: If you have never heard of Aimer, please check out her songs! Many of her songs are used for anime and there’s a very good reason why! Her songs are really nice, emotional and meaningful. I had the privilege of hearing her ‘live’ when she came to my country for a concert.

You can buy the mp3 version of the song here at Amazon Japan.

ED 2: “Drown” by millet

Side Note: Yet another song that fits well with the philosophy and themes discussed throughout Vinland Saga. No spoilers so check out the lyrics after you watched the anime. You will understand why.

You can buy the mp3 version of the song here at Amazon Japan.

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